File reviews and all the other things I never wanted to do as a lawyer.

I have never met a lawyer who has said (well at least with a straight face) that they spent all those hard years studying and qualifying to review a file to confirm that the client had signed the retainer, that there was a file opening risk assessment on the file and so on.

It's the same with policies and procedures: you have a suite of policies and procedures, but does anyone ever read them? Are they even followed in spirit, let alone in practice and it's easy to ask the question 'does it really matter'? The answer to the question 'does it really matter' is open to the answer 'it doesn't, until it goes wrong and then it matters greatly'.

The Law Society, as far as we are aware have never conducted assessments as to whether firms accredited with the Quality Conveyancing Standard are meeting the requirements of the scheme as they certify that they do in their reaccreditation applications.

We know that this will not continue indefinitely and it is certainly the case that there will be numerous firms who would, on investigation, be found wanting. We can help. From the development of full suite of bespoke policies and procedures, through to a review and refresh we can give you the reassurance that you can demonstrate your compliance with your quality accreditations. The Law Society's quality accreditations require you to undertake file reviews to address the procedural aspects of the file and or the substantive issues. We cannot take your role as a supervising solicitor but we can relieve the burden of 'box ticking'.

Our approach to file reviews is to make it the 'right fit' for your firm, provide assurance around your key risks and deliver insights into operational practices and where efficiencies or process improvements may be found. Get in touch for a free review of your file review practice and how we can help.